Pattern-producing circular knitting machine



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PATTERN-PRODUCING CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 14 Original Filed March 6, 1926 sept 9, 1941- F.*E. JONES 2,255,693

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PATTERNPRODUCING CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE origina; Filed March 6, 1926 17 Sheets-'sheet 17 Patented Sept. 9, 1941 PATTERN-PRODUCING CIRCULAR KNIT- TIN G MACHINE 'Frank E. Jones, Pawtucket, It. I., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R.. I., a corporation oi' Massachusetts Application Maren s, 192s, serial No. 92,746 Renewed November 9, 1934 12 Claims.

This application is a continuation as to common subject-matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 647,518, filed June 18, 1923.

This invention relates to circular knitting machines, the purpose thereof being to produce patterns of various shapes and sizes, either by a twocolor effect as by plating at predetermined points, or by a so-called "lace effect, as by the formation of draw stitches or other stitch variations at predetermined points, all in accordance with the pattern control.- r

In certain aspects thereof the invention is an improvement upon that disclosed in the patent t Lomax, No. 1,236,189', August 7, 1917.

While the invention is not restricted for all purposes to the pattern producing means shown,

I have herein disclosed (first) means for producing patterns by color effect as by predetermined plating and (secondly) means for producing patterns by a stitch eilect. as by predetermined formation of draw stitches.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation cfa stocking having a pattern effect produced by plated work or color control; f

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged detail of a unit of the pattern indicated in Fig. l, to show the plating or color effect;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a stocking having a pattern effect produced by stitch control or variation;

Fig. 4 is a. greatly enlarged detail to show the stitch control or variation in a unit of the pattern;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a circular latch needle knitting machine having my invention applied thereto;

Flg. 6 is a left hand end elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation thereof;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the upper part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. Q is a plan view of the top of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section thereof taken under the latch ring, as upon the line Ill- I0 of Fig. 8:

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section upon the line Il-ll of Fig. 8, the mechanism there shown being adapted for plating work;

Fig. l2 is a horizontal sectional view similar to Fig. 11, but showing the cam construction for stitch variation, as by the formation of draw stitches at predetermined points:

Fig. 12a is a detail in planof the cam for rais-V ing all the jacks and the immediate connections thereto;

Fig. 12b is a detail in side elevation of the coni shown in Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a rear elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 16;

Fig. 19 is a section thereof upon the line I9-i0 of Fig.' 17;

Fig. 20 is a side elevation of the top cam for depressing all needles and jacks and the immediate connections thereto;

Fig. 21 is an inside elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 20;

Fig. 22 is a rear elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 20;

Fig. 23 is a full or actual size front elevation showing a group of jacks for lcontrolling the needles to produce the pattern eiect by two-color work. desirably plating work;

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 23, the parts being shown of full or actual size;

Fig. 24a is a diagram of the pattern effect produced -by the jack arrangement of Figs. 23 and 24;

Figs. 25 and 26 are views similar to Figs. 23

and 24, .but of the construction and arrangement of jacks for producing the pattern effect by stitch variation or control, the parts being shown as of full or actual size;

Fig. 27 is a development or diagram indicating the course of the needles and jacks in the formation of a pattern by color control, preferably by plating;

Fig. 28 is aside elevation of a jack and needle employed in such color work, said parts being shown as of full or actual size;

Fig. 29 is a. view similar to Fig. 27 but indicating the construction employed in producing the pattern by stitch variation lor control;

Fig. 30 is a side elevation of ajack and needle used in the organization represented in Fig. 29, said parts being lshown of full or actual size;

' Fig. 31 is a diagram indicating in plan view the f 'for the foot. etc.

sevdcral cams upon the drum I for plating work; an

Fig. 32 is a similar view of the cams for stitch variation work. v

My invention relating, as lt does, to circular 5 knitting machines, may be applied to or embodied in various types of such machines, but I have chosen to represent the same as applied to a machine of 4the well-known Banner type disclosed in the patent to Joshua D. Hemphill, No. 933,443, dated September '1, 1909. In this type of machine the needle cylinder rotates while the cams remain stationary and, althoughv the machine disclosed is for the purpose of producing hosiery, it is obviously not limited to this class of iWork. I will, however, describe my invention as applied' to a machine of such type without limiting it thereto excepting when expressly so stated in the claims.

Generally speaking, the machine includes a rotating needle cylinder I, mounted upon a suitable table 2, constituting a part of the frame of the knitting machine and, as is customary in this type of machine, said cylinder is arranged to` be rotated to form the leg'and foot andto 25 be reciprocated to form the heel and toe of the stocking.

The means for effecting the rotary and reciprocating movements are substantially the same as those shown and described in thelsaidHemphill patent and, being well known, require no further description.

1 A plurality of yarn feeding elements is provid' ed at the usual position characteristic of the Banner machine, and a series of said elementsI is indicatedat 3 in Fig. 9, and oneof them is indicated at 3 in Figs. 5 and 8. Desirably, as many as four or five yarn guides may be mounted side by side at the same place, each to introduce its yarn or thread as called for by the controlling cams,as, for example, for the leg, the heel and I rtoe, and the foot, etc. All said yarn guides are pivoted at 4 upon a latch ring 5, itself suitably pivoted, so that it may be swung up out of action to afford access to the needles or for any other purpose. Since the particular type of machine here shown is the latch needle type, I have represented the member 5 as a latch ring, but if the lmachine be equipped with spring -beard needles, as it may be within certain aspects of my invention, then the member 5 is of the form of a par Itial ring, as wellunderstood in this art.

Each of the yarn guides is normally pressedv z or urged into action in the general manner dis- I i closedin said Hemphillpatent as 'by a series of 55 i levers suitably mounted upon a standard rising i from the bed plate 2, suitable springs being emi ployed for the purpose of moving the yarn guides respectively down into feeding position. Such movement-downward intol position is opposedeo and overcome at times by means including levers and connecting wires, a portion of said levers be-` ing represented at 6 in Fig. 5. The said levers respectively ride upon suitable cams, indicated at 1 in Fig. 5, upon the drum 8, on a cam shaft 9, 65 in a manner not necessary herein to describe, as it is dcsirably similar to the construction shown in the said Hemphill patent. Assuming that there are four or five levers in the said group, it is evident that, according to the dictates of the cams'I, upon the disk or drum 8. the said yarn guides are permitted to act in suitable order as, for example, to supply a yarn or thread for the leg of the stocking, another forthe heel. another Each of the said yarn guides supplies its yam or thread in proximity to the knitting pointI and each yarn so taken is knitted upon all the needles in action unless, as hereinafter pointed outl as in one form or aspect of my invention. there is a stitch variation, so that the yarn or thread is floated past one or more needles, or is caused to tuck thereat in effecting the pattern hereinafter referred to.

The machine is provided with the usual driving shaft Iii, having thecustomary pulleys I I and in therear thereof with a shaft I2 driven from the shaft I0 and having fast thereon the large gear I3 known as the |04 gear. lControlled from the shaft I2 is the usual quadrant I4 pivoted at I5 and operatedin a manner not herein necessary to describe in effecting the reciprocation of the needle cylinder in forming the heel and toe.

These parts, being desirably of customary construction, here need no further description.

The machine is provided with the usual narrowing pickers mounted, as customary, upon a block indicated at I6 in Fig. 5, and with the customary widening pickers, one of which is indicated at Il in Fig. 5, being mounted upon a suitble bracket I8, preferably of the usual construcion.

Having thus referred to themain parts of the usual mechanism of the plain or rotary Banner machine, it is pointed out that ymy invention, shown for convenience as applied to such 'type of machine, is concerned particularly with the formation of pattern effects in'the fabric. Such pattern effects may be produced in various ways as. for example, (l) By a color effect, which may be `secured by introducing at least two yarns which, at times, are so controlled as to produce plated work and, at other times, but one of said lyarns being taken by the needles, so as Yto produce a different color effect; l(2) By a stitch control or variation, as by forming tuck stitches or draw stitches according to the pattern dictation,

Aor (3) By a combination of 1 and 2. While not limiting my invention thereto, I will herein disclose means for producing a pattern effect by the said first and second ways.

A stocking having a pattern effect produced and in Fig. 2 is shown an enlargement of the stitches of a portion of such pattern, while Figs.

- 3 andv 4 respectively show a stocking and enlargement of a portion thereof wherein the pattern is produced by stitch control or variationherein specifically by the formation of tuck or draw stitches positioned so as to produce the desired pattern effect.

Hereinafter, for mere convenience of description, I shall referto the pattern as the diamond pattern, but it is to be understood that, within the principle of my invention, the pattern may be obviously varied within wide limits, as to both shape and size, and also as to position upon the stocking or other fabric.

I shall first describe the disclosed means for I producing the pattern by a color effect and to that end shall first refer to Figs. 1 and 2 and to the diagram or development in Fig. 27 and, after having described the same, I shall then refer to Figs. 3 and 4 and the diagram or development shown in Fig.'29.

The needles, one of whichis indicated at I8 i in Figs. 28 and 29, are herein shown as of the latch needle type but, as already stated, they may bev of the spring beard type, in which case Acated in 27.

escasos 3 suitable pressers and other cooperating parts are employed.

Each of the needles is mounted, as is customary, within its groove in the needle cylinder and said cylinder, as clearly indicated in Figs. 5, 6, etc., is of increased height, so that the grooves may be prolonged below the needles and receive in each of them a controlling jack 2U. a group whereof is represented in Figs. 23 and 24. The said jacks are distinct from the needles and are mounted so as to be reciprocated with suitable friction Within their groovesby the cams to be hereinaiter described, and they are positioned directly below the needle butts,

so that when elevated cr depressed the needles are correspondingly elevated or depressed.

The jacks are each provided with at least a single butt or with a plurality of butts in vertical alignment, according to the pattern eiect to be produced land the various jacks, so difierentiated among themselves, are distributed in the proper needle grooves, so as to secure the proper pattern by elevating their respective ncedles at the proper time. In the selected embodiment of the invention, the butt formation o the jacks is as follows:

Referring to Figs. 23 and 24, it will bc observed that all of the jacks 2li have the lower butts 2i. To effect the knitting of a patterned instep and plain 'or non-patterned sole, the jacks companion to the needles that knit the instep of the stoel-:ing are provided with short butts 2l. the cam 2id being maintained in semi-advanced position to act upon the long needle butts 2i only throughout the knitting of the plain sole and patterned instep. Certain of said jacks have thereebove a second butt, 22; certain only of the remaining jacks have thereabove a butt 2&3; ecrtain o the remaining jacks have thereabove s butt 24; certain of the still remaining jacks have thereabove a butt 25; and certain of the remaining jacks have thereabove a butt 25. Such butts as are present upon any one jack are vertically spaced, as'clearly indicated, for example, by the left hand jack in the group shown in Fig. 24.

The said butts Z! to 25 inclusive are adapted to be acted upon by a series of cams .Zla, 22a, 23.11, 25a and 26a, all diagrammatically indi- The said cams 2id to 26a. are mounted one above another. as hereinafter more fully described, and are capable oi' movement into and out of engagement with therespeotive butts controlled thereby, this movement being preferably a radial one with relation to the axis of the needle cylinder. The cam Zia, not being a selecting cam is not controliedi'rom the drum or cylinder di but is controlled by other means to effect its advance prior to the lcnit ting cf the foot and its retraction at the com pletion of the knitting of the foot. The remainlng cams just referred to, namely cams 22o: to 25a inclusive, are known as selecting cams, and it is their function, when moved radially into position by the means hereinafter described, to act upon the jack butts similarly numbered herein so as to elevate the needles pertaining thereto, for the reception of the plating yarn.

Referring to the form of the upper ends of the jacks 20, especially in Figs. 24 and 26, it will be observed that the jack which is distinct from but is adapted to move in the needle groove independently of its needle and also to nieve the needle, has the main portion oi its stern or normal (i. e. substantially unreduced) cross section, but has its upper end materially 'thicker from 'iront to rear than the main portion of its stem and is ilat thereat so as to present mate rially increased lifting surface to the lower end of the needles, and thereby avoid tilting of its needles upon engagement therewith.

Referring to diagram Fig. 27, it will be ob served that the group of knitting cams is there represented and is shown as consisting of the stitch cams El, 2d, the upper guard cam 29, and the lower cam 30. In this embodiment of my invention the guard cam 29 is mounted upon a member 3l, Fig. l0, which is pivoted at 32 upon the cam block, so that it is adapted to be swung laterally or the purpose of permitting the needles, when traveling toward the left in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 27, to pass with perfect freedom of movement into con tact with the stitch cam 2l to be depressed thereby, being then elevated by the usual cam 2l.

The stitch cam 28 is adapted to be moved out of action, preferably radially, during or for the vproduction of the pattern work, by means hereinafter described. In addition I employ a top cam which is adapted to be moved into and out cf action, desir-ably radially.` in a manner hereinafter described. Cam 33 functions upon needle butts after jacks and needles'have been raised by earn 35 and, depending upon its position, will move certain of the needles and their jacks downwardly to a lower level so that the jacks may properly approach cams 2id- 26a at a predetermined level. Other or customary cams are provided as, for example, the instep cams indicated at 3d and, in addition, I employ, for a purpose hereinafter set forth, a cam 35, here briefly referred to as a cam for raising all the needles and jacks. In the diagram Fig. 27, the

selecting cam 26a, which is shown hatched,

is supposed to be in action or in operative relation to the jack butts, and the remaining selecting cams are out of action.

When, as in the ilrst disclosure of my invention, the pattern effect is produced by a color eiiect, as by plating, I introduce, through two yarn guides or fingers, Fig. 27, two yarns A and B of contrasting color. For convenience of description shall refer to the yarn A as the red yarn and the yarn B as the white yarn. These yarn guides or fingers are properly located (bcing two of the group of yarn guides 3) and the tension condition thereof is such as to produce a plated ciect when both yarns are taken by the needles. As the customary plating operation is well understood, it is unnecessary to describe the same in detail.

IThe needles which are not elevated, because of lack of a butt formation upon the jack at the determining point or level, therefore take only the white yarn, being so low when they pass the red yarn that they miss the same. The needles whose jacks have butts calling for clevation in effecting the pattern taire the red yarn and immediately thereafter take the white yarn, and thus effect the plating operation as the stitch ls completed.

Viewing Fig. 27, it will be noted that as the needles move toward the left they are slightly depressed by the top cam 33 and thence (since the stitch cam t8 is radially out of action during the patterning) unless the needle is elevated by its jack, it moves along at so low a level as only to engage the White yarn and, after taking the same, is depressed by the stitch cam 2 in the usual marmer. lli', however, the needle is elevated by 

